52 Reasons to Love Sicily #48. Myths and Legends. Sicily is the land of myth. Indeed, you’ll find points of interest recalling ancient myths throughout the island. For example, this Giulio Moschetti fountain created in 1906, the Fontana di Diana, is an obvious one. It illustrates the story of the water nymph Aretusa and her…
Category: Art
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | There’s Always Something Begging to be Discovered
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #46. There’s Always Something Begging to be Discovered. Considered by many to be the “Sistine Chaple of Sicily,” the Chiesa di San Domenico in Castelvetrano in western Sicily is an unspoiled spectacle. Originally built in the 1470s, artist Antonio Ferraro da Giuliana and his sons spent three years from 1577-1580…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Historic Opulent Villas
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #43. Historic Opulent Villas. Sicily was home to many princes, princesses, and barons prior to the Republic of Italy’s founding in 1946. Palaces (palazzi) of noble families constructed during different eras exist all over the island, and many are open to the public. My favorite, which is about a half-hour’s…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Live Classical Theater in an Acient Greek Amphitheater
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #37. Live Classical Theater in an Acient Greek Amphitheater. L’Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico (INDA) has presented masterpieces of ancient Greek theater in Siracusa since 1914 at Siracusa’s Teatro Antico — the same stage on which some of these works may have been premiered centuries ago! Attending these performances between…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Strolls Through Public Gardens
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #22. Strolls through public gardens offer a different kind of exploring. Villa Giulia, an oasis of greenery in Palermo that was commissioned in 1777, presents you with a geometric layout accentuated with neoclassical band shells and allegorical statues. In the midst of the park, is the Villa Giulia version of…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Outstanding Ancient Art
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #20. Outstanding Ancient Art. There are extraordinary pieces of ancient art throughout Sicily–even in the smallest of museums. One example is in the Museo Whitaker of Mozia off of Sicily’s west coast. The world-renowned “Youth of Motya” or “Motya Charioteer” is a mid-5th century BCE statue made of Parian marble. It was…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Joyful Folk Art
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #15. Joyful Folk Art The craftsmanship and tradition of Sicilian carts radiate a rainbow of joy. And today especially, for the Feast of Saint George (April 23), colors and ritual meet, for San Giorgio is the protector of cart drivers and their horses. So, when you encounter a cart, like…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | The Crowds Slip Away
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #10. The crowds slip away quickly in Sicily and what’s left are delightful discoveries. In accessible off-the-beaten-path towns like Sciacca in Agrigento Province, for one example, you will encounter something engaging when you least expect it, such as a work of street art, a votive altar for the Madonna on…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Royal Fairytales Are Real
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #6. In Sicily, “fairytales” about knights and ladies and kings and queens are not fiction. Throughout the island exists displays of centuries of royalty. In fact, you’ll find castles seemingly on every hilltop with a view! Perhaps the most particular evidence of majesty is illustrated by the crown of Constance…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Palermo Goes To 11
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #3. When talking coolness factor, the city of Palermo goes to 11. It’s European. It’s north African. It’s exotic. It’s got flirtatious nightlife (La Vucciria open-air market becomes a people-watching hub after dark and in nearby Ballarò, jazz clubs take over the alleyways.). It’s got high-art — the city is…